


Much Love

by the_irish_mayhem



Series: A Spark Within [2]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: F/M, Letters, Politics, Post-Canon, Pre-Relationship, Shippy Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-10
Updated: 2021-02-10
Packaged: 2021-03-16 00:54:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,789
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29323533
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_irish_mayhem/pseuds/the_irish_mayhem
Summary: I miss reading your letters, so if you ever get a minute, write me back?Or: The series of letters exchanged between Katara and Zuko before she becomes ambassador to the Fire Nation.
Relationships: Katara & Zuko (Avatar), Katara/Zuko (Avatar)
Series: A Spark Within [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1759237
Kudos: 28





	Much Love

**102AG**

**Year of the Dog**

**Summer**

Dear Zuko,

I feel like I should start off this letter by apologizing for not writing you for the last few months. After breaking up with Aang, I just felt like I had to focus on myself, as cliche as that sounds. I missed writing to you, and I really miss talking to you. I might have to find some time to visit you soon, if you can spare some time for me.

I haven’t just been a useless lump since the spring, though. There were times I felt like one, but Suki and Sokka did a good job of making sure I didn’t get too pathetic in those early days. Things are a lot better now--I still get smacked by these random feelings of sadness and anger, but I’m living with it, you know? Okay, I swear I didn’t write to you to talk about breakups. Ugh. Let’s avoid that topic.

Since the spring, I’ve become a bit of an informal advisor to the Council of Elders. (Not sure if there’s a Fire Nation equivalent? The nine surviving chiefdoms send representatives to whichever clan the Southern Water Tribe’s chief hails from, and they all discuss laws and policy and basically help contribute to a final decision, which is ultimately made by my dad.) I’ve been working with Master Pakku to build a Southern bending school and develop a curriculum. He’s better since he married Gran Gran (I don’t think I’m ever going to get used to that) but we still butt heads on a lot. Weirdly enough, the few female waterbenders from the North who have come here aren’t always super helpful either--so many of them agree with the gender segregation that bending education had at the North Pole, and so often I feel completely alone arguing against them.

I’m trying to instate an equal curriculum--everyone learns both fighting and healing--but they want one that is more geared towards personal choice--as in, people get to choose what they want to learn and specialize in. I don’t have a problem with someone preferring one over the other, but right now we’re trying to rebuild Southern bending culture with benders from the North. If we let them choose, of course most of them are just going to choose what they’ve always known, or what their parents and family expects of them. It’ll be like building a house with cracks in the foundation, and all the problems I saw in the North will happen here.

Sokka says I’m too stubborn to let a couple of stodgy Northerners get me down, but he’s not the one who has to argue with them every step of the way. I think my voice has a lot of sway over this particular matter because I’m the last native Southern waterbender, but it’s still tiring to sometimes be the only voice in the room arguing for what’s right.

I miss reading your letters, so if you ever get a minute, write me back?

Much Love,

Katara

  
  


Katara,

It doesn’t matter the space of time between letters, I’m always happy to hear from you. I am also fine with not discussing exes in any capacity, though I can’t really say politics are my favorite alternative.

Congratulations on the advisory position. You’re going to be amazing at it, no matter what you think. You’ve got an instinct to care for people, and that’s the most important quality there is. I can’t think of anyone else I’d rather have helping rebuild the South (don’t tell Sokka).

Your issue with the benders is kind of similar to the one I have here with rinsing the Fire Nation propaganda from everyone’s minds. Turns out, a hundred years is a long time for people to embrace something—even if it’s as crazy sounding as Fire Nation superiority, or women not learning combat bending. As much as I wish we could both snap our fingers and have people forget the way it used to be, it’s not that simple. It’s very two steps forward, one step back. And then sometimes ten steps backwards, and then you have to make up that ground all over again.

I’d like to see an end to all people thinking the Fire Nation is superior in my lifetime, but I really don’t think I’m going to; but it sounds like since you’re building Southern bending culture back from the ground up, you’ll get to see the results from your hard work a lot sooner than I will.

Like you said, you’re the last Southern waterbender. They  _ have _ to listen to you. If the Northerners don’t like it, then you can kick them back to where they came from. (That’s probably not the best thing for the Fire Lord to say, so you’ll just have to keep this letter to yourself.)

Speaking of lost bending cultures, you’ll have to tell me how your rebuilding goes because I’m getting the feeling I’m going to have to do something similar here. After Aang and I took our field trip, I realized there was so much about firebending that was just…  _ lost. _ Our forms became so focused on fighting and violence and conquest that we lost so much of our bending heritage. I want to get that back, if I can. I would really like it if the world could start to see that fire isn’t just about destruction and pain. Maybe this would help.

Respond when you’re able. Or if you want to. I like getting letters from you, so feel free to write whenever you want. 

—Zuko

Dear Zuko,

Thank you. I don’t know if I can really properly tell you how much your words meant to me. I do have to remind myself that I belong in the groups that are making these decisions, no matter what Pakku says.

I almost find myself wishing that Hama was still alive. I bet if she were here, Pakku would be shaking in his boots any time he said a single word against women combat bending.

Which… I never apologized for how angry I got when you released her.

I realize now why you did it. Honestly, when I look at this from just about any standpoint, it was the right thing to do. She was a prisoner of war and the survivor of attempted genocide and captivity at the hands of people who hated her. No matter how I feel about her, you did the right thing. I’m sorry that I made you defend yourself to me about that decision. You were already getting so much shit from your own people for releasing prisoners of war, you didn’t need a friend piling on too.

I never saw her when she was back. I don’t know if I could’ve handled that. But according to Gran Gran, she was at peace. I don’t know if happiness was an option for her, after everything, but… you did a good thing, is what I’m saying.

As for lost bending culture: it starts with the kids. Start looking into what they’re teaching in bending schools, and maybe see if there were any masters who were fired or disciplined for what they were teaching. There’s got to be people who remember your old ways of bending. Knowledge like that can’t be entirely erased. Even with Southern waterbending, I’ve still found remnants and scrolls and stories. It’s not perfect, but it’s something. It’s pieces to build with. Ask your Uncle, too. The White Lotus has to know some renegade firebenders who didn’t play by the normal rules.

Duty is calling. I want to get this letter on a hawk before I leave for this meeting, so until next time.

Much Love,

Katara

  
  


Katara,

I got your last letter and I’ll respond to that one in full in a few days but I just really needed to talk to you about something.

I think Azula’s might’ve just tried to kill herself. I don’t know for sure—it’s not like we allow her weapons, but she gouged pretty deep into her arms with her fingernails. She lost some blood, but it wasn’t life-threatening. She’s infirmed and doing fine.

I just have literally no idea what to do with her. I don’t know how to help her, or even talk to her at this point. Uncle thinks she’s a lost cause, but I can’t bring myself to believe him. She’s my little sister, and I can’t help but feel like it’s my duty to help her.

She’s been so different since the last Agni Kai. She hasn’t bent flame since then, and I have a feeling it’s because she can’t. She’s been angry and imperious and everything else she used to be, but she hasn’t conjured so much as a puff of smoke. Then there’s the matter of her seeing things. According to her guards, she has had a lot of conversations with people who aren’t there. Do you remember what I said before the Agni Kai? That Azula seemed like she was slipping? Now it seems like she’s slipped completely and is trying to convince everyone she hasn’t. I think she’s trying to convince herself she hasn’t, too.

I guess you don’t have to reply to this if you don’t want to. Azula’s hurt you a lot. She hurt all my friends a lot, and I don’t expect or want any of you to forgive her if it’s not what you want. I just really needed to talk to someone about it, and you’re always the first person I want to write to.

—Zuko

Dear Zuko,

Oh spirits, I am so sorry. That is horrible. No matter what Azula did, I would never wish something like that on anyone. Don’t stress about the last letter. Politics can wait.

There’s a technique called mind-healing that some healers can do. According to Gran Gran, Southern benders used to do it to help during the winters, where the never-ending nights sometimes drove people a bit mad. I’ve been working with Yugoda to try to figure out how it was done. They have their own method of mind-healing, but it’s tricky, to say the least.

I’m not going to lie, I don’t think any experienced mind-healers will help you. Not for Azula. But I’m willing to try, if you’ll have me. I probably won’t be able to stay long, but I’ll start packing.

Much Love,

Katara

Katara,

I’m struggling to find the words. Thank you. Thank you so much. We’ll prepare for you to arrive. You are an amazing friend, and an amazing person.

I’m looking forward to being able to talk to you in person.

I can’t wait to see you.

\--Zuko


End file.
